RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A spokesman for North Carolina Gov. BeverlyPerdue says her one-day trip to Pennsylvania to examine a naturalgas exploration method wasn’t publicized because she was onlygathering information and held no public events.

Perdue, state environment Secretary Dee Freeman and otherstraveled March 5 to north-central Pennsylvania to visit Shell Oiloperations in the region where a process called hydraulicfracturing occurs to extract natural gas from shale.

Perdue spokesman Mark Johnson said Tuesday the delegation alsomet with regulators and local officials.

Freeman’s department is expected soon to release a report theLegislature mandated to examine the procedure known as “fracking”and recommend what steps the state should now take.

The News & Observer of Raleigh first reported details of thetrip that Perdue took by state aircraft.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina lawmakers get a secondchance at recording their votes on bills that cross their desks.

The operating rules of the House and Senate give legislators theability to change floor votes after the yeas and nays are counted.

North Carolina is one of 10 states where lawmakers are allowed tochange their votes after a bill has passed or failed. The Senateallows such changes on the same day. The House policy giveslawmakers 24 hours.

The House clerk’s office says its members asked for their votesto be adjusted on 426 occasions during 2011. The Senate doesn’tkeep count of vote changes.